1. Technical Field
This document relates to devices for performing medical procedures such as laparoscopic surgery. For example, this document relates to retractor devices such as laparoscopic bowel retractors for use in performing intra-abdominal surgery.
2. Background Information
Optimal visualization of the operative field is a fundamental principle in surgery. Any technique that improves intra-operative visualization has the potential to make surgery safer and more cost efficient. With the advent of minimally invasive surgery, the utilization of laparoscopic or robotic surgery is becoming the standard of care for many abdominal surgeries. However, there are areas of the abdominal cavity, like the paraaortic area, in which the minimally invasive approach is still challenging. In fact, small bowel loops frequently obscure the paraaortic surgical field, especially in obese patients.
Endometrial cancer is the fourth most prevalent malignancy in the United States. It is estimated that approximately 40% of endometrial cancer patients need to have a paraaortic lymphadenectomy, which involves surgery in the area of the aorta and vena cava. In 70% of such cases, the surgical site is either partially or completely obstructed by the small bowel, making the procedure sometimes impractical to perform by minimally invasive robotic surgery.
Some intestinal retraction devices are either too small for the amount of bowel that needs to be restrained, too cumbersome to use, or too difficult to retrieve. There is a need for an improved bowel retractor device that is convenient to operate and effective for keeping the bowel away from the operative field, including for obese patients.